[nagdu] Sidewalk-less walking?

Sat Jul 4 04:37:10 UTC 2015

Thank you Debby. That's right this feels totally isolating. I don't
like it at all. Lived enough in the country growing up off and on. I
don't feel the need. Visiting is quite enough for me.

On 7/3/15, Jody Ianuzzi via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>  Hi Donna
>
> Yes I love the country life. We live in a subdivision with 500 houses and we
> didn't know anybody by here we have three neighbors and we know them all
> there so well that they always stop to say hi when they drive by.
>
> JODY 🐺
> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com
>
> "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."
> DOCTOR WHO (Tom Baker)
>
>> On Jul 3, 2015, at 8:15 PM, Applebutter Hill via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Jody,
>> I wish we had those shells, but really what we need is a road crew that
>> understands that you need to give the water a place to run.  I hear you
>> about
>> the dog wanting to get too close to friendly neighbors' cars. I had the
>> same
>> issue with Hunter when I brought him home. I'm not really sure how I
>> worked it
>> out. I think I just made him heel. I don't remember talking to anyone
>> about
>> it.
>>
>> I love those conversations with people when we're walking our rural road.
>>
>> Our kitty escorts us around the trails and is a wonderful companion for
>> Hunter. He was a stray and he used to tag along with  us before I knew
>> him. I
>> credit Hunter with teaching him the ropes.
>> Donna & Hunter
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jody Ianuzzi
>> via
>> nagdu
>> Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2015 5:20 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Cc: Jody Ianuzzi
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Sidewalk-less walking?
>>
>> Hello Donna,
>>
>> My guide dog is owner trained, not school trained.  Oh yes, I do know all
>> about country travel.
>>
>> We also live out in the country too.  We live on a dead end road paved
>> with
>> crushed shells rather then blacktop so it is like gravel.  All the roads
>> here
>> have gullies about four feet from the road for drainage.
>>
>> There are only four houses on our road.  When a car does go by it is
>> almost
>> always a neighbor who will stop and say hello.  I got in the habit of
>> approaching the car to talk.  This has built a bad habit in my dog who
>> thinks
>> that if a car stops we should approach.  I have conveyed this problem to
>> my
>> neighbors who now understand .  Now when they stop to talk I will put my
>> dog
>> in a sit stay and we will talk from a short distance.
>>
>> Our electric fences are on the top of the fence for horses with the middle
>> and
>> lower wires with no power so my dog doesn't get zapped.
>>
>> He is very good with the horses and he gives them space.  He is also very
>> good
>> with the chickens only scattering them from time to time for  the fun of
>> it.
>> He will be fine if the cat sleeps in our room but if he sees him in the
>> yard
>> he will chase him.  Of course this is all when he is not in harness.
>>
>> When in harness I can thank the cats who will walk with us down the road
>> and
>> offer a great working distraction.  He is very good about not chasing them
>> in
>> harness.
>>
>> The country life is so wonderful, I don't miss city life at all.
>>
>> JODY ??
>> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com
>>
>> "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."
>> DOCTOR WHO (Tom Baker)
>>
>>> On Jul 2, 2015, at 3:41 PM, Applebutter Hill via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Jody and all,
>>> I think the country walk training at the schools is fine as far as it
>>> goes, but if you really live in the country like we do, there are
>>> things that can't be handled by staying to the left. First, we are on
>>> a dirt and gravel road which is badly rutted for many months and the
>>> patterns of those ruts can change. It's like a macramé of ruts. My
>>> last two dogs have had to pick their way around the deepest of them
>>> and cannot stay to the left or walk in a straight line at all. They do
>>> this very well. In fact, years ago someone asked me how my last dog
>>> and I dealt with the ruts, and I said, "What ruts?" Of course, now I know
>>>
>>> what is going on.
>>>
>>> The other thing is that, when you're out far enough, there are very few
>>> cars.
>>> This sounds great and it generally is, but both of my dogs who have
>>> lived here went through an adjustment. They'd hear a car and get over
>>> to one side, but the car was close to a mile away. Obviously, I don't
>>> want to stand around all day waiting for cars that are nowhere near us.
>>>
>>> Some of the transitions that  you wish were actual corners are also
>>> difficult for the dogs to figure out. Some are so sweeping that it's
>>> hard to tell where the dog should stop to cross or make a decision to
>>> turn. Hunter wasn't all that impressed with the cows and horses
>>> either. The electric fences are low and not usually live, and I think
>>> he was concerned that they were coming for us. Not all dogs like
>>> walking on stone either, and most of the driveways are stone not
>>> Macadam or concrete because they are long and that would be very costly.
>>>
>>> I'm not complaining about our beautiful country home, but just saying
>>> that what passes for country travel at school isn't even close.
>>> Donna & Hunter
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jody
>>> Ianuzzi via nagdu
>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2015 11:01 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Cc: Jody Ianuzzi
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Sidewalk-less walking?
>>>
>>> Whenever I walk down the road without sidewalks I walked down the left
>>> side of the road facing the traffic so that they can see me. If I
>>> walked on the right side of the road I would be afraid that they
>>> wouldn't see my dog and might hit him.
>>>
>>> When I was in training my instructor told me to walk down the left
>>> side of the road towards traffic and I think that's the generally
>>> excepted with pedestrians are supposed to walk.
>>>
>>> JODY ??
>>> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com
>>>
>>> "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."
>>> DOCTOR WHO (Tom Baker)
>>>
>>>> On Jul 1, 2015, at 10:14 AM, Daryl Marie via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Thanks Julie, it does help!
>>>>
>>>> I think it's a matter of getting both Jenny and I thinking this is
>>>> normal.
>>>> On the way TO work, Jenny does beautiful guiding. We're right up
>>>> against the curb... even when I think we're not, I tell her to move
>>>> "in" (which to her is "All the way right", and I find she angles me
>>>> so my right foot is on the grass immediately.  There aren't a lot of
>>>> cars parked, and she's great about getting out of the way of those
>>>> that come up behind us... So getting there isn't really the issue...
>>>> but it's on the way back that seems to be the problem.  There are
>>>> cars on the road nearly the entire way, and enough traffic coming
>>>> down the street that I don't think she or I feel safe enough to walk
>>>> on the road, which leaves us the parking lots (I think it might be
>>>> better) or the grass (which Jenny doesn't seem to like).  I'm not
>>>> sure what's on the other side of the street, but whatever it is, it's
>>>> LOUD!
>>>> There's a bunch of offices and industrial buildings.  I might just
>>>> head down that way and see what's there.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, Julie!
>>>>
>>>> Daryl
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: Julie J. via nagdu
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association
>>>> of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org> Cc: Julie J.
>>>> <julielj at neb.rr.com>
>>>> Sent: Wed, 01 Jul 2015 05:44:21 -0600 (MDT) Subject: Re: [nagdu]
>>>> Sidewalk-less walking?  Daryl, I do quite a bit of sidewalkless
>>>> travel, nearly daily. I've not had a dog who was skittish about it.
>>>> If it's possible, it's easier to walk with the curb/shoulder on your
>>>> left, so the dog is nearest the edge. If you're not sure about your
>>>> distance from the edge, you can cue a left turn and work the dog to
>>>> the edge, or if you use a folding cane you can use that. I do this a
>>>> lot in the beginning, but haven't done either for some time. When
>>>> approaching a parked car, I teach the dog to move around the car on
>>>> the street side, but to stop before entering the actual lane of
>>>> traffic. This puts us at the corner of the car. I listen for traffic
>>>> and cue my dog to proceed around when I don't hear any traffic. When
>>>> doing this I wait until traffic is clear both ways, even the far lane
>>>> which we shouldn't be near. I do this because if I miss hearing a car
>>>> I want there to be room for the drivers to move. They won't be able
>>>> to do that if there are two cars passing plus the parked car. After
>>>> passing the car, the dog will pick up the line of travel at the curb
>>>> again. With a new dog I offer a couple of reminders and double check
>>>> when I think we should be back at the curb. If traffic is really
>>>> heavy or I can't hear well because of wind or construction or
>>>> whatever, I will go around parked cars on the yard side. I cue the
>>>> dog left, work to the curb, cue a right turn, go a bit and then turn
>>>> right to the curb again. For me this is a more difficult procedure
>>>> because of mailboxes, trees and several cars parked in a row or
>>>> trucks connected to trailers. My guess when we've passed the vehicle
>>>> isn't always accurate. It's not so bad with Monty because he's had
>>>> enough experience he can figure out what to do easily. Jetta is more
>>>> likely to follow my direction more closely or refusing, but not
>>>> knowing what to do instead. It sometimes means we employ trial and
>>>> error to figure out what to do. There have been a couple of times
>>>> when the road has been too narrow for my comfort with a lot of
>>>> traffic. I have walked on the yard/grass side of the curb/shoulder of
>>>> the road instead of the street side. My dogs catch on to this really
>>>> quickly, but that could be because they have a lot of experience with
>>>> sidewalkless travel.
>>>> It's a bit slower going because of the uneven footing and the need to
>>>> weave around trees and bushes and whatnot. I listen to the traffic to
>>>> keep me oriented in the correct direction. I haven't had a problem
>>>> with either Jetta or Monty wandering off into random directions
>>>> though. I do remember that Belle would move to the absolute edge of
>>>> the road or even up into a driveway and stop when she thought a
>>>> vehicle was approaching too closely.  After the vehicle passed she'd
>>>> continue on. Monty and Jetta don't do this, but generally if a dog
>>>> suggests something that is reasonable I encourage it.  So they all
>>>> develop their unique style of working particular situations. Anyway,
>>>> I hope there's something useful in there somewhere. If you have other
>>>> questions, please ask away.  I'm happy to bounce ideas around until
>>>> something clicks! Julie
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-- 
Danielle

Email: singingmywayin at gmail.com